We’ve added July’s Desktop Calendar to our “Downloads” page.
This month it’s Monterey California – Whale Watching … we hope you like it!
Latest Posts
Aeroplan Transforms Program – Listens To Customers
Aeroplan Transforms Program to Deliver Outstanding Loyalty Experience
MONTREAL, June 27, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ – Aeroplan, Canada’s premier coalition loyalty program, announced today groundbreaking enhancements to the program that will be implemented on January 1, 2014, including:
- The launch of Distinction, a new tiered recognition program that rewards top accumulating members, earned across all coalition partners, with preferential mileage levels for redemption, bonus mile offers and exclusive privileges;
- New Market Fare Flight Rewards to replace ClassicPlus Flight Rewards, offering significantly improved value, with all members having access to mileage levels reduced by up to 20%, and Distinction members enjoying reductions of up to 50%; and
- The Cancellation of the seven-year mileage redemption policy, with Aeroplan Miles no longer expiring for members active in the program each year.
“The enhancements we’re announcing today are the most significant changes we’ve made in the Aeroplan program’s history,” said Vince Timpano, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canada, Aimia. “2014 will mark a new era for Aeroplan as we take the program to a whole new level, providing members with an unrivalled loyalty experience. We’re redesigning core parts of the program, delivering what is most important to our members, while reinforcing Aeroplan’s position as the leading premium coalition loyalty program in Canada for years to come.” Read More
Winners Unveiled For Australia’s ‘Best Jobs In The World’
An American finance graduate, a Brazilian travel photographer, an Irish internet entrepreneur, a French tourism graduate, an English film costume designer and a Canadian adventure tour guide have beaten off more than 330,000 competitors from 196 countries to be awarded Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’.
The global competition drew to a finale in Sydney today (Friday 21 June) with job offers made to:
Andrew Smith (USA): Chief Funster (New South Wales)
Roberto Seba (Brazil): Lifestyle Photographer (Melbourne, Victoria)
Allan Dixon (Ireland): Outback Adventurer (Northern Territory)
Elisa Detrez (France): Park Ranger (Queensland)
Rich Keam (England): Taste Master (Western Australia)
Greg Snell (Canada): Wildlife Caretaker (South Australia)
A seventh job was awarded by Virgin Australia to Cameron Ernst from the USA, who will fly the length and breadth of the country as the airline’s new ‘High Flyer’, championing Australia’s best customer service experiences.
The 18 finalists in Tourism Australia’s global competition have spent the past week in Australia undertaking a series of adventure, nature-based, culinary, social media and photography challenges and assessments, as part of a rigorous final selection process. Read More
Between Los Angeles & San Francisco Is A Picture-Perfect Piece Of Paradise – Monterey
Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey & Carmel-by-the-Sea – California
Have you ever gone on a holiday and wondered if you’d really booked the right hotel? What if it’s in a bad area in a dodgy part of town? Sometimes you just have to hold your breath and hope you’ve got it right.
We were visiting the Monterey area of California to do some touristy stuff like whale watching, and we booked a hotel in a town called Seaside. Ever heard of it? Us neither. On the map it looked fine, but what does a map tell you about a town other than it has roads and parks. Read More
Pet Restraints – Why You Should Think About Your Fur-kid’s Safety On Your Next Vacation
On The Road Again … With Man’s Best Friend! We Chime In On Pet Restraints And Safety For You And Them.
Remember the old days when you’d see a mother holding her newborn baby on her lap as the family went off on a day trip? Thankfully those days are long gone.
While most of us – either by choice or by the threat of a fine – wear our seatbelts at all times. But what about our dogs (or cats)? Most people don’t even think about restraining their dogs when they’re in the car.
If you’re a dog-lover I know you take Fido everywhere you go – I take my dog with me every chance I get, to introduce him to new places and keep his mind stimulated. But if you’re going to take your dog along on long or even short trips around town, doing so safely is very important. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that these outings can spell danger for their four-legged friends. Maybe you’ve never even thought about it before now.
Pet travel restraint isn’t just about protecting your pets in the event of an accident – it protects them from a variety of other injuries as well. Consider also that proper pet travel restraints also protect you, your passengers, and everybody else on the road. Read More
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Marvels of Monterey – Whale Watching In California
The whales were side-by-side almost vertical with their noses pointed high in the sky – we were witnessing something truly special – a double breach (two Humpback whales flying out of the water and crashing back in at the same time) – but not just any two, this was a mother and calf, almost within touching distance of the boat!
Our guide told us she had been doing this for 15 years and this was the first time she got pictures of it! Today though, this mother and calf breached so many times for us that she was sure many of us would have a good chance at a great shot. Unfortunately for us, one of the best photo opportunities of them together was so close to the boat that both my wife and I missed it because we had our long zoom lenses on our cameras – doh! Read More
Shark Ecotourism Could Double in Next Two Decades
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2013 /CNW/ – According to a new global analysis led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and other scientists, shark watching is a major economic driver for dozens of countries, generating $314 million annually. Citing the study’s projections that shark-related tourism could more than double within 20 years, generating over $780 million annually, The Pew Charitable Trusts is calling for greater protections for sharks through the designation of sanctuaries around the world.
Shark-related tourism is a growing business worldwide, with established operations in at least 83 locations in 29 countries. Although places such as South Africa, the United States, and Australia have typically dominated this industry, shark ecotourism is becoming an economic boon to countries across the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean regions. The study finds that shark watching attracts 590,000 tourists and supports more than 10,000 jobs each year.
The increase in shark ecotourism and its economic value can lead to interest in establishing sanctuaries for sharks, which play a critical role in the health of marine systems. In recent years, nine countries—Palau, the Maldives, Honduras, Tokelau, The Bahamas, the Marshall Islands, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia—have created sanctuaries by prohibiting commercial shark fishing to protect the animals in their waters.
“It’s clear that sharks contribute to a healthy marine environment, which is paramount to the long-term social, cultural, and financial well-being of millions of people around the world,” says Jill Hepp, director of global shark conservation at Pew. “Many countries have a significant financial incentive to conserve sharks and the places where they live.”
In contrast to the growing ecotourism industry, the value of global shark catches has been declining, largely as a result of overfishing. Approximately 100 million sharks are killed every year primarily for their fins, which are used to make shark fin soup, a popular dish in Asia.
The Marshall Islands has been home to one of the world’s largest shark sanctuaries since 2011. It’s an area of the central Pacific Ocean spanning 1,990,530 square kilometers (768,547 square miles)—nearly four times the landmass of California—in which commercial fishing of all sharks is prohibited. This video highlights the importance of the Marshall Islands shark sanctuary and how the government and law enforcement officials have been working to enforce its new laws.
Visit our Facebook page for the accompanying video…
The University of British Columbia research, supported by Pew, was published in the academic journal Oryx today.
SOURCE: The Pew Charitable Trusts
About TravelBloggers.ca
Iain Shankland & Gail Shankland started blogging in order to inspire and motivate people to travel the world from their perspective – specializing in having the most fun while using the least amount of money, travelling on the cheap without sacrificing comfort.
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June Desktop Calendar Now Available
We’ve added June’s Desktop Calendar to our “Downloads” page.
This month it’s Monterey California … we hope you like it!
Flying This Summer? You Might Want To Reconsider
I read this today and thought I’d pass it along to our readers. It’s from The Wall Street Journal and it makes me glad I’m not flying this summer! Some of it only applies to flying in the U.S. right now, but some of the changes are happening world-wide. It’s only a matter of time before all the other airlines follow suit so this is eventually going to apply to everyone. Happy travels.
Summer Air-Travel Survival Guide By Scott McCartney [The Wall Street Journal]
The forecast calls for heavy frustration with a 50% chance of innovation at U.S. airports this summer.
Airport crowds are expected to be the largest in the U.S. since 2008. There’s already concern that budget cuts in Transportation Security Administration overtime will lead to longer security-screening lines. Atlanta’s airport said wait times from an apparent TSA staffing shortage stretched to 70 minutes on a recent Friday, and both the airport and Delta Air Lines are encouraging summer travelers in Atlanta to get to the airport two hours before departure.
Frontier Airlines has joined Spirit and Allegiant airlines in charging some passengers for a carry-on bag, and beginning July 1, Frontier will start charging some passengers $1.99 for a soda, juice and coffee. And most big airlines recently began charging significantly higher Read More
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